• WorldCom warned that allowing the RBOCs to provide long distance data services within their regions without first opening their monopoly local markets to competition would sound a death knell for the Internet industry by giving an unfair advantage to monopolists.

LIGHTWAVE LIGHTS NYC METRO DWDM RING FOR METRO SERVICES
LightWave Communications, a facilities-based provider of metro optical access services, lit a DWDM network connecting several Verizon central offices in New York City to its regional fiber network.  The LightWave network currently consists of 3,000 metro fiber miles and extends from Boston, MA to Washington, DC with multiple points-of-presence in New York City, Newark, NJ, Philadelphia, PA and Baltimore, MD.  The company will provide Ethernet, Private Line and wavelength metro access services.  http://www.lightwavecomm.net/
LightWave Communications, April 25, 2001

• LightWave Communications is using Foundry Networks’ BigIron Layer 3 Gigabit Ethernet switches for its Ethernet access service.
• Last September, LightWave signed a $55 million agreement to lease facilities from Metromedia Fiber Network.

NET.COM LAUNCHES NEW SERVICE CREATION PLATFORMS FOR BROADBAND PROVISIONING
net.com introduced two new service creation platforms for providing integrated broadband aggregation, subscriber management, packet and cell processing, high-touch IP, and broadband service creation from a carrier’s central office.  net.com’s SCREAM SplitPlane architecture provides a physical and logical separation of the network control plane (intelligence) and the network data plane (packet processing).  The design places switching, routing, forwarding, packet processing, and intelligence on individual line cards, allowing for “pay-as-you-grow" scalability and flexibility.  The architecture also offers open programmability at the element, service, management, and control layers, allowing service providers or third party developers to develop new applications.  The new products include the SCREAM100, which delivers 40 Gbps of IP throughput, scalable to 80 Gbps. It supports up to 256,000 broadband subscribers (512,000 in extended-shelf configuration). Six SCREAM100s can be configured back-to-back in a standard telco rack to manage more than one and a half million subscribers.   The platforms are based on high-performance, custom ASICs and Agere's PayloadPlus network processors.  http://www.net.com/company/releases/pr01/pr_0701.shtml
net.com, April 25, 2001

IBM TEAMS WITH FANTASTIC ON BROADBAND CONTENT DELIVERY SYSTEMS
IBM and The Fantastic Corporation agreed to jointly offer an integrated digital media solution for broadband content distribution.  The partnership combines IBM's digital media hardware/software with Fantastic's Channel Management Center and Channel Editorial Center applications.  IBM Global Services will serve as lead integrator.  In, addition, IBM has made an equity investment in Fantastic, which is based in Zug, Switzerland.  http://www.fantastic.com/
Fantastic, April 25, 2001

AVAIL NETWORKS DELIVERS NEW FRONTERA DSL CONCENTRATOR
Avail Networks, a start-up based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, introduced a new version of its Frontera Integrated Concentration Device designed to enable multi-service access deployments in multi-tenant subscriber environments while reducing up-front equipment costs per building.  The new Frontera 2100 offers 8 software-selectable SDSL / SHDSL subscriber ports and dual T1/E1 uplinks.  Like Avail’s other Frontera products, the 2100 model combines specific features of Integrated Access Devices (IADs), DSLAMs, and ATM switches, providing it with QoS and traffic-awareness capabilities for business-class services.  The model is priced at under $7,500.  http://www.availnetworks.com/news/pr04252001.html
Avail Networks, April 25, 2001

TRANSLUME TO LEVERAGE ULTRAFAST FEMTOLASERS FOR OPTICAL COMPONENTS MANUFACTURING
Translume, a start-up based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will develop optical components using ultrafast femtolaser technology originally developed at the University of Michigan.  The technology writes three-dimensional waveguides and machines other optical features inside or on the surface of glass materials.  The company’s technical team is led by Dr. Philippe Bado, who was formerly vice president for technology at Clark-MXR in Dexter, Michigan.  Translume is supported through Ardesta LLC, an incubator in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
http://www.ardesta.com/1about/abonea042401.htm 
Ardesta, April 24, 2001

ASTRAL POINT DELIVERS STS-1 TRANSMULTIPLEXER MODULE
Astral Point Communications, a start-up based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, introduced the STS-1 Transmultiplexer Module for its ON 5000 Optical Services Node, enabling its platform to serve as an alternative for traditional large, centralized digital cross-connect systems (DCS) by distributing this functionality throughout the network.  The STS-1 module converts signals from the DS1 format to the Virtual Tributary-1.5 (VT-1.5) format.  The solution effectively switches and grooms voice traffic from numerous T1 leased lines onto a single STS-1 interface for Class 5 voice switches within a CO.  Astral Point’s ON 5000 chassis could support up to 80 STS-1 or 120 DS3/1/0 interfaces.  http://www.astralpoint.com/web/pr042401.html
Astral Point Communications, April 25, 2001

IXIA INTRODUCES 10 GBPS ANALYSIS SOLUTION
Ixia introduced its OC-192c Packet Over SONET, OC-192c BERT and 10GBASE-W WAN analysis solution in a single module for use with its existing IXIA 1600T and IXIA 400C chassis.  http://www.ixiacom.com/pr_042501.htm
Ixia, April 25, 2001

HYPERCHIP NAMES ERICSSON EXECUTIVE AS CEO
HyperChip, a start-up developing a next generation routing platform, named Brian Barry as CEO.  Barry previously served as President and CEO of Ericsson Canada.  HyperChip is based in Montreal, Canada.  http://www.hyperchip.com
HyperChip, April 25, 2001

• HyperChip is developing massively parallel semiconductor technology for routers that could scale to as many as 65,536 high-speed ports.  IBM will manufacture HyperChip's Matrix ASIC with its leading-edge .18-micron copper process technology.
• HyperChip has raised more than US$100 million in venture capital financing to date.